We wanted to offer our students - regardless of their social status and family background - a way to participate in international activities and learn more emotional and social skills. Within the project they learnt well-being strategies in cooperation with their peers. We also wanted them to learn how to actively participate in an international project. That enhanced their self-esteem and feeling of inclusion. We also wanted them to notice that they are capable of finding the ways of improving their own well-being have an active impact on their own lives.
Mental well-being of students is a topic of concern both in Finland and in France. The students are facing many challenges such as climate change, the war in Ukraine and the aftermath of Covid-19 epidemic. Many students are suffering from depression and loneliness and absence from school is getting more and more common. Many lack the basic social skills after the epidemic. We wanted to give them opportunity to learn positive thinking and emotional skills as well as social skills. After the corona epidemic they hadn't had opportunities to participate in these kinds of international projects. Our students and us teachers were really motivated to participate to this project. The topic (well-being) is really important, and this opportunity gave our students more motivation because they learnt new skills in a new environment and with new people. That gave them new perspective.